One of our funders, the Mary Black Foundation, has put together this wonderful spotlight video on BirthMatters! Click here to view this video...BirthMatters to Us
Showing posts with label BirthMatters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BirthMatters. Show all posts
Monday, October 10, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Planting Seeds
In honor of the beautiful South Carolina spring, I can not help but rejoice in planting a garden. This is the first year I have used heirloom tomatoes. I was given two tiny plants from an avid gardener who does not charge for them. She simply is so excited to pass on these wise and natural fruits. For those not familiar with the heirloom variety, you can re-grow plants every year by saving the seeds from previous season. There are many heirloom varieties traced back to the 1800s. How exciting it is to discover this old fruit who has passed on its wisdom over and over. This plant must know something. It has survived for centuries.
As long as the gardener is willing to give the plants what they need, these tomatoes will produce year after year; and potentially, generation after generation. These little plants promise more than just fresh sauces, salas, and perfect salads. Their patience and perseverance reminds me of the promises and fruits in doula work.
When we freely share our natural wisdom as mothers, it is so empowering, we can not keep it to ourselves. We must pass it on, much like the fruit of the heirloom tomato.
When a doula spends time nurturing and caring for mothers during their pregnancy, seeds of our natural abilities to birth and breastfeed are planted. A doula gives time and attention to the mother, encourages her to spread her own roots and become strong and powerful in her natural ability to birth and mother.
When the time comes for her to birth her baby, her doula is there: encouraging her, reminding her of her strength and deep, strong roots. Giving the mother what she needs. She is much more confident in her ability to birth and mother. The seeds are planted and nurtured in pregnancy, blossom during birth, and bear fruit as mothers pass on her new-found knowledge. And having discovered this old wisdom within herself, a strong confident mother encourages another pregnant mother to spread her roots: To be strong and powerful in preparation of bearing her own precious fruit.
Then, much like the little heirloom seed, she shares the fruit of her birth experience and the wisdom she found within herself with one friend.
Then another.
And another.
I have watched young mothers pass on their wisdom to other young mothers. She simply is so excited to pass on these wise and natural fruits: realizing the importance of nurturing her natural wisdom, strength and sharing our natural ability to breastfeed and birth.
As long as the mothers are willing to give each other what they need, these inner wisdoms will produce confident strong mothers year after year; and potentially, generation after generation. Our bodies must know something. We have survived millennia.
As long as the gardener is willing to give the plants what they need, these tomatoes will produce year after year; and potentially, generation after generation. These little plants promise more than just fresh sauces, salas, and perfect salads. Their patience and perseverance reminds me of the promises and fruits in doula work.
When we freely share our natural wisdom as mothers, it is so empowering, we can not keep it to ourselves. We must pass it on, much like the fruit of the heirloom tomato.
When a doula spends time nurturing and caring for mothers during their pregnancy, seeds of our natural abilities to birth and breastfeed are planted. A doula gives time and attention to the mother, encourages her to spread her own roots and become strong and powerful in her natural ability to birth and mother.
When the time comes for her to birth her baby, her doula is there: encouraging her, reminding her of her strength and deep, strong roots. Giving the mother what she needs. She is much more confident in her ability to birth and mother. The seeds are planted and nurtured in pregnancy, blossom during birth, and bear fruit as mothers pass on her new-found knowledge. And having discovered this old wisdom within herself, a strong confident mother encourages another pregnant mother to spread her roots: To be strong and powerful in preparation of bearing her own precious fruit.
Then, much like the little heirloom seed, she shares the fruit of her birth experience and the wisdom she found within herself with one friend.
Then another.
And another.
I have watched young mothers pass on their wisdom to other young mothers. She simply is so excited to pass on these wise and natural fruits: realizing the importance of nurturing her natural wisdom, strength and sharing our natural ability to breastfeed and birth.
As long as the mothers are willing to give each other what they need, these inner wisdoms will produce confident strong mothers year after year; and potentially, generation after generation. Our bodies must know something. We have survived millennia.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Welcome to our Blog
BirthMatters is excited to launch our first blog! This is a great way to keep everyone informed and aware of what BirthMatters is doing. So for those who have not heard about us…BirthMatters began in 2009 offering doula services to families in Spartanburg County. A doula (doo-luh) is someone who is educated in childbirth and provides physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother and her family before, during, and after childbirth. BirthMatters focuses on providing services to younger mothers at no charge to them. We are a program of ReGenesis Health Care and receive grants to support our passion. In 2009, BirthMatters sponsored the DONA (Doulas of North America) training to ten interested women. These doulas provided services to 28 families in 2009.
In 2010, BirthMatters became a replicated doula program of Health Connect One. Last year we were able to provide the 20-week doula training in Southside Spartanburg at Cornerstone Baptist Church. After completing this training, BirthMatters hired two neighborhood doulas, Ashley Lyles and Tria Sims. BirthMatters provided doula services to 28 families in 2010 with great outcomes including 92% breastfeeding rate at birth. BirthMatters is currently providing the 20-week doula training in the Arcadia community at Bethel International Church.
BirthMatters received a federal grant in September 2010 from HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) to expand our doula program to Cherokee County. BirthMatters was selected as one of three recipients for this unique funding opportunity. We are very excited about this opportunity and love getting to know the Gaffney/ Blacksburg community.
Molly
In 2010, BirthMatters became a replicated doula program of Health Connect One. Last year we were able to provide the 20-week doula training in Southside Spartanburg at Cornerstone Baptist Church. After completing this training, BirthMatters hired two neighborhood doulas, Ashley Lyles and Tria Sims. BirthMatters provided doula services to 28 families in 2010 with great outcomes including 92% breastfeeding rate at birth. BirthMatters is currently providing the 20-week doula training in the Arcadia community at Bethel International Church.
BirthMatters received a federal grant in September 2010 from HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) to expand our doula program to Cherokee County. BirthMatters was selected as one of three recipients for this unique funding opportunity. We are very excited about this opportunity and love getting to know the Gaffney/ Blacksburg community.
Molly
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